


I'm Breathing, I'm Alive, but I'm Alone

by musicals_musicals



Category: We Are The Tigers - Allen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coping, Friendship, Gen, Homophobia, I guess this could be read as romantic, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mid-Canon, Multi, Past Character Death, and its not from character we know, clark was a theater nerd because i say so, its just like the plot of the show, only for a few lines, the character death isnt like diring the fic, this is in between acts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 07:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20616932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: Going back to school without Chess is hard. Being in a place that Kate always associated with her best friend without that friend being there is hard. Everything is so hard now.





	I'm Breathing, I'm Alive, but I'm Alone

**Author's Note:**

> i blacked out in heath class and wrote 1500 word of watt fic. also preston i know youre reading this

Nothing about the first day of school back was normal. Kate was super aware of the eyes that followed her through the halls. People who she used to be friendly with looked at her with pity, the girls who hated her for things she couldn’t control looked smug. She’d heard people whispering  _ Chess got what she deserved, after all she was the one who chose her best friend over joining the popular crew. _

The only good thing Kate decided, was that she wasn’t the only one getting the looks and whispers. From what she could tell Cairo and Riley were getting similar treatment, judging by the look on Cairo’s face when Kate passed her an Riley at the water fountain. Kate had seen Reese on the bus in the morning they had simply sat together in silence. Kate used to sit with Chess everyday but— well Chess wasn’t here.

The only person Kate hadn’t seen was Annleigh, which was worrying. Kate didn’t usually bother to think about Annleigh outside of cheer, needless to say they ran in different circles, but at the moment Kate had to admit that she was worried about the other girl. Annleigh was the one who had lost the most that night, she lost her sister and her boyfriend. Kate would like to say that she had lost the same, after all Chess was her sister in everything but blood, Chess’ family was the one that was always there for Kate, but it didn’t matter that Kate had a crush on her best friend. Chess was straight and they were never together, they didn’t have what Clark and Annleigh might’ve had. They were just friends.

Kate finally got to her locker and leaned against it slightly while she put in the combination. She’d barely been at school for ten minutes and she already wanted to go home. She turned the dial to four and unlatched the lock before swinging open the locker— or trying to.

A well manicured hand landed on the locker, with nails painted blood red “Hey Kate”

Kate briefly considers if she can just leave, but she really doesn’t want to carry around her cheer bag all day so “What do you want?”

“Oh, I just wanted to have a little chat” Jen tapped her fingers on the locker and smirked “I was wondering how it feels to know that you killed three people”

Jen was one of the people who had immediately separated herself from Kate when she came out, too worried that Kate may try to hit on her or bring down the wrath of god. Usually she left Kate alone and stuck to gossip, but not today.

“You really think I killed them?” Kate asked, sure it's not like she thought that Mattie actually killed them, but Kate thought it was obvious that she didn’t kill anyone after all Kate would do anything to get Chess back.

“Well sure, it’s so obvious” Jen laughed and raised an eyebrow “You were obviously playing around with Annleigh's dumb little sister, but you got tired of her so you killed her in order to keep it a secret. Then you went to try to seduce Chess, but she said no so you killed her two in a fit of rage. Oh and you killed Clark because you were jealous he was with Anneleigh”

Before Kate can say something rational, probably  _ what the fuck how did you come up with that. _ A new voice joined the conversation.

“That isn’t what happened” Annleigh pushed Jen to the side so she could stand next to Kate.

“What?"

“What?” Of all the people Kate might’ve expected to stand up for her Annleigh was probably bottom of the list.

“That’s all bullshit, leave Kate alone” Annleigh repeated, glaring at Jen. “And don’t talk about Farrah like that”

“Oh sorry I’ll leave your  _ girlfriend _ alone” Jen practically growled at Annleigh before stomping off down the hallway.

“You didn’t need to do that” Kate finally got over her shock that  **Annleigh said the word shit** and finished putting her stuff in the now open locker.

“I really did” Annleigh whispered before looking down at her feet. Kate was struck by how little Annleigh looked like… well Annleigh. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun at the back of her head, and she was only wearing a simple black tee shirt and jeans. The way she was hugging her textbooks to her chest made her look so small, even compared to the Annleigh that stood up for her not two minutes ago.

“Are you okay?” Kate asked quietly before realizing that she hated when people asked her that “Do you want to talk?”

Annleigh looked conflicted “You probably need to get to class”

“Nope” Kate had never been happier about her first hour TA period. As long as she stopped by before the hour ended she would be marked present, and even if she didn’t it wasn’t a big deal.

“That would be nice” Annleigh admitted, she reached up to push back a lock of hair that had been falling in her face, in a nervous gesture that felt so alien when done by Annleigh.

“Okay” Kate closed her locker and offered her arm to Annleigh in the way people in period pieces do as a joke. Annleigh smiled for the first time since she first arrived and complied, which Kate counted as a win. Kate decided to lead them to the one dead end hallway on the second floor that had a bench that was always empty. It would be a quiet place to talk, where they hopefully wouldn’t be bothered.

They turned down the hallway to the bench and Annleigh froze. Kate almost feel over from the harsh stop, but caught herself and looked over to Annleigh to ask why she stopped, but stayed silent when she saw Annleigh’s face. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes and Kate could only describe her facial expression as heartbroken. 

Kate followed the path of Annleigh’s eyes until she found a poster on the opposite wall. Kate took a step closer in order to read the poster.

**Come see the fall musical!!**

** _Cinderella_ **

**Friday and Saturday only!**

“Oh” Kate realized.

“Clark was supposed to be in that” Annleigh finally said quietly, her voice rough and wet from the tears she wasn’t letting fall. “He was so excited, the day of callbacks he wouldn’t sit still” Annleigh breathed out harshly and one of the tears fell.

“Annleigh I—“ Kate didn’t know what to say. It was hard going somewhere when everything you saw just reminded you of someone you lost. Kate held out her arms in an awkward invitation that Annleigh took. The hair falling out of Annleigh’s bun tickled Kate’s nose, but she ignored it, putting her arms around Annleigh’s shoulders in a tight hug. 

Kate started talking “When I got home  _ that  _ night after the police and everything I went straight to my room to go to bed” Kate took a deep breath to ward off the tears that wanted to fall “I got to my room and opened the door and just started sobbing” Without her permission Kate felt her face get wet “This old sweatshirt that I stole from— from Chess was sitting on the foot of my bed” Kate hadn’t actually told anyone this, too embarrassed by her moment of weakness, but Annleigh felt safe. “Seeing it, just set something off. When I realized that she’d never wear it or complain about my having stole it” Annleigh’s hands were warm on Kate’s back, offering a little bit of comfort.

“We should sit down” Anneleigh whispered picking up her head from where there was a growing wet spot on Kate’s flannel.

“Okay” Kate pulled away and wiped her face with her sleeve. They finally walked the last ten feet and sat next to each other at the small bench. Annleigh leaned against Kate’s shoulder and they sat in silence until the last of the tears dried up.

“It’s all so hard” Annleigh said, her voice caught in her throat a little, but she pushed through. “I haven’t been able to go near Farrah’s room, if the door stays closed I can pretend she’s in there doing whatever Farrah used to do” Annleigh sighed and shook her head “That’s the worst part, I don’t even know what Farrah used to do in her room. She was my sister but I was so caught up in the anger that I never appreciated her”

Kate hadn’t even realized how that might feel for Annleigh. Kate herself felt bad about never getting the chance to actually get to know Farrah, she couldn’t imagine how it feels to Annleigh, who spent all of last year trying to get rid of Farrah. “We’re fucked up”

Annleigh snorted “Yeah, we are”

The class bell rang, The sharp noise interrupting anything Kate might’ve said in response. “We should get to class” 

“Yeah,” Annleigh and Kate picked up the backpacks that had been discarded on the floor, but Annleigh stopped before walking away “Could we maybe do this more often? Just talking to you is nice”

Kate smiled and pulled out her phone “Of course, I can give you my number?”

“Sure,” Annleigh put Kate’s phone number into her phone then put away the device. “I’ll see you later”

“Sure” Kate walked away feeling happier that she had in what felt like forever.

**Author's Note:**

> this was fun I might write another part, but only if i actually have an idea and can make it work. please comment and if you want follow me on the tumblr [@musicals-musicals](https://musicals-musicals.tumblr.com/) and reblog the post im going to make for this, i post bad watt memes along with some other stuff.


End file.
